The TRUE Classics

[Steerforth]

Alienblue - There are literaly PILES of Atari 2600 games that I have played as a kid that I had no clue what to do or where to go. Indiana Jones and ET come to mind pretty quickly. But that was another place an another time.

But the Atari does have a feature that would give it a leg up in todays console wars - 3rd party Nintendo games!

If I wasn't so lazy, I might dig an old one up and try to convert that crappy joystick into some kind of D-pad contrivance. Anyone ever done that?

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=Steerforth]

 

I haven't played this game in forever, but remember Combat? Thats one of the reasons I expect to enjoy Wii play beyond the mediocre reviews its getting. 'Tanks' obviously draws some inspiration from that great little gem. I bet I ain't the only one that can still hear the sound effects in my brain.

[/QUOTE]
I just started playing it lately with my friend.  He had never even played a 2600 before period (we were both born in 1981, and not everyone in my age group was even lucky enough to ever own a 2600, as many started at the NES).  He just came in for the weekend, and we've sunk a lot of time in that one and Soul Calibur 2.  The fact that we switch off SC 2 one minute and then play some variations of Combat the next, especially when it isn't even nostalgic for him, proves that the game is still great today.

[andrew]

super mario bros 1 and super mario bros 2(japan). The latter is next to impossible but somehow I keep playing it.

[Alienblue]

Steerforth - think you got me wrong, I LOVE my 2600, just not SOLARIS. If you want a D-pad for it, I know Atari DID make D-pads for the 7800 that should work on the 2600.

If you can't find them, just take the circuit board out of a 2600 joystick and press up, down, fire, etc... on the board! (It would be easy to just make a pad for this. The 2600 Connection showed how a long time ago.)

[Steerforth]

I wasn't knocking the 2600. The simple games were fun, the games that tried to do too much sometimes weren't. The only game I have ever seen my dad play is Space Invaders, so that says something abut the appeal that Atari has.

Zaxon was a fairly complex game for the day that was pretty good, though.

[R. Jones]

[QUOTE=Steerforth]

Alienblue - There are literaly PILES of Atari 2600 games that I have played as a kid that I had no clue what to do or where to go. Indiana Jones and ET come to mind pretty quickly. But that was another place an another time.

But the Atari does have a feature that would give it a leg up in todays console wars - 3rd party Nintendo games!

If I wasn't so lazy, I might dig an old one up and try to convert that crappy joystick into some kind of D-pad contrivance. Anyone ever done that?

[/QUOTE]The controllers for the Sega Genesis are compatible with the Atari.  You could probably pick up a decent three button controller for two dollars. 

Or did you mean that specifically you'd like to have a normal atari joystick case with a d-pad where the joystick would go?  If so take a look at this:

 

http://www.cheeptech.com/2600mods/stickmod.html

[Steerforth]

R. Jones :

 

Sega Genesis controllers plug directly into an Atari 2600?! If that is the case, I would definitely pick one up. I've never had a Genesis, seems odd they would be compatible, but I'll check that out. Thanks.

[Alienblue]

Steerforth- Doh'! I forgot that Sega controllers were compatible with the Atari 2600...yes, even old MASTER SYSTEM controllers are compatible (If you can stand those floaty pads!). Sega MS and Genesis used the same 9-pin configuration as the Atari 2600! (only one button will work of course, however).

[Steerforth]

Alienblue :  That is both unbelievable (to me, at least), and awesome! To Ebay!

[a1]

If Genesis controllers are compatible with the 2600 I'm going to go on ebay and find some 2600 games and a console. The only thing I didn't like about it was the joystick.